Engaging+the+Enraged

=Engaging the Enraged: Incorporating Malcontents into the Mainstream= Ken Callaway

Purpose
This activity was created with a specific audience in mind. The annual Southern California Association of Misanthropes (SCAM), held every February 29th, has seen a dramatic drop in membership over the past eight years. It has been determined through extensive market studies that nearly 89% of those that come to our convention center in downtown Barstow lose interest in further interaction with their fellow curmudgeons within twenty-four minutes of arrival. It is hoped the following activity will dramatically decrease this number. If we should be unsuccessful in our attempts to encourage our members to continue attending, we say good riddance to them.

Time Required
20 to 30 minutes.

Number of Participants
The game in meant to be played with a fairly large number of people. There should be, at the very least, a dozen people present. It may be done with numbers in excess of one hundred if space is available. The optimum number depends on just how ornery the group is feeling.

Supplies Needed

 * 1) Name Tags
 * 2) Small notepads
 * 3) Golf pencils
 * 4) Air Horn

Preparation
Before the participants arrive, make sure all name tags are labeled appropriately, and enough notepads and pencils are on hand. And for Pete's sake, don't forget the air horn!

Flow
Upon entering the convention center, each member will be given a nametag, with their names written on them in an annoyingly cute and colorful font. Game play actually begins when each member quickly tires of having total strangers come up to them and call them by name. The sound of tags being ripped from coats, shirts, and blouses signals the time for the game to begin, and an air horn sounds. (A bell or a whistle may be used here, but an air horn is vastly more satisfying.)

At this time the rules are explained to the crotchety crowd:

1. We are going to be playing an interesting game at this time to get everyone in the proper mindset. At the end of the game, there will be rewards for the winning groups. Now, to begin: on the back of the name tag you now hold in your hand are two words or phrases. The top phrase is a category of games, and on the bottom is a name of a particular game.

Below is a list of some of the games and categories to be used at this year’s conference.

 * = **Categories** ||= **Games** ||
 * Parlor Games || Charades ||
 * Board Games || Sorry ||
 * Computer Games || Donkey Kong ||
 * Interpersonal Activities || Communication Styles ||
 * Icebreakers || Lifeboat ||
 * Card Games || Go Fish ||
 * Sports || Baseball ||

2. There are two ways to play. First, you may focus on the top phrase, for example, parlor games. In that case, you are to try to locate fellow members who have a parlor game as their second phrase. Your goal is to find three people with a parlor game that they admit annoys them to no end. Once you have formed a quartet (that’s four people, remember) you are to use the supplied notepads and golf pencils to create a list of reasons why parlor games grate on your nerves even more than the other irritating categories of games.

3. The second way to play ignores the first word or phrase. Here you look only at the particular game that you have, and think about why it aggravates you. You are then to find three other people that find the games they have maddening, and reach a consensus within your group as to which of the four games is most exasperating and why. Use your notepads to record your reasoning, so you can be prepared to defend your responses at the end of the game. (Helpful hint: Any working in of Sivasailam Thiagarajan name to your answers is sure to impress the judges.)

4. You have 20 minutes (more time may be given at this stage, depending upon the number of people involved and amount of alcohol previously consumed) to complete this task. Have fun!

At the end of the allotted time, the air horn is sounded. If desired, you may sound the air horn several times during game play. (Why not, somebody may as well be having fun.)

Rewards/Debriefing
At the conclusion of play, the moderator will lead the members in a discussion of what they learned through the process before the prizes are revealed. Some of the questions that might be looked at are:
 * Why are games annoying in general, and which are particularly irritating?
 * Why is it assumed everyone will enjoy a game? Isn’t something that is “fun” for someone quite likely to be “unfun” for someone else?
 * If there was a “game hell”, what would it look like and who should we send there?
 * Why were we playing this game in the first place? Aren’t we all supposed to be misanthropic?

After the discussion, the rewards would be distributed. Any group that submitted their responses to be judged would automatically have their membership in SCAM revoked. (What were they thinking, trying to impress the judges?) For the individuals that headed toward the doors as soon as this game began the prizes are as follows:

Credits
As befits a member in good standing of SCAM, all credit (such as it is) must go to the author and the author alone.